Virtually succumbing to pressure, the Congress Government led by Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday agreed to almost all the demands of Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu apparently ending the deadlock between him and the Chief Minister.

The Cabinet, in its meeting, decided to remove Amar Preet Singh Deol as Punjab Advocate-General by forwarding his previously submitted resignation to the State Governor.

“The resignation of the AG has been accepted by the Cabinet today and the same has been forwarded to the Governor...The new DGP will also be appointed soon from the panel of names submitted to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC),” said Channi while addressing the media after the Cabinet meeting.

The decisions came a day after Sidhu launched a direct attack in public against his own party’s Government over key appointments, including APS Deol as Advocate-General and IPS Sahota as the state Director General of Police (DGP). Notably, Sidhu has all along been opposing Deol and Sahota’s appointment, and had even stepped down as the State party chief seeking their removal.

In an apparent attempt to show that the two were now on the same page, Channi and Sidhu held a joint press briefing where the State Congress chief expressed satisfaction with the Cabinet’s decisions, and assured to fully support the Government.

An attempt was made to send across a message that a compromise has been arrived at between the two sides.

However, a similar “unsuccessful” attempt was also made earlier when Sidhu and Channi had together visited Kedarnath temple and addressed the party leaders in the evening. Even as Sidhu had then claimed that “all is well”, he launched an attack on the Channi Government the very next day.

The way for ending the stalemate between the two top leaders was paved by the State party affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary a day before by bringing Channi and Sidhu on the same table to hold face-to-face talks. It has been learnt that Sidhu has raised the issue of Deol and Sahota’s removal, among others, during the meeting. In turn, Channi had assured Sidhu to address the majority of his concerns in the next two-three days.

On Tuesday also, Channi and Sidhu held another round of talks ahead of the crucial Cabinet meeting, in which the government was expected to take several key decisions.

Besides the decision on the appointment of Deol and Sahota, the Cabinet also approved two Bills, to be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha session on November 11, aimed at providing cheap power, and cancelling two power purchase agreements signed with the private companies by the erstwhile SAD-BJP Government.

In addition, the Cabinet also passed the mining police to bring down rates of sand in a move to check the sand mafia - addressing another demand raised by Sidhu. Praising Channi for fixing rates for sale of sand in the State, Sidhu said the Chief Minister has taken the first step needed in controlling sand and transport mafia.

“I have no personal fight. This is a fight for resources for Punjab. I will give 110 per cent support to the Chief Minister from party’s side,” said Sidhu during the press conference with Channi sitting by his side, while Deputy Chief Minister-cum-Home Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa was conspicuous by his absence.

Sidhu, while announcing to withdraw his resignation, had declared that he would resume the charge of Punjab Congress chief the day a new Advocate-General was appointed in place of Deol and a panel for the appointment of a new DGP came from the UPSC.